


Donuts & Daffodils

by donutdancer



Category: Jewnicorn - Fandom, Social Network (2010)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-04
Updated: 2013-01-18
Packaged: 2017-11-23 15:05:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 18,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/623493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/donutdancer/pseuds/donutdancer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jesse; the paper boy, Andrew; the daffodil boy. Tough love, but they get through it anyway.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Paper Daffodils

Jesse twiddled with the corner of The New York Times. The edges were rough and pointed, and often made cuts on his fingers. But they were his favourite area of the paper. The rest were just.. inky and a mass of words that were too dull. Not that Jesse couldn’t understand them, he finished reading the entire paper by the time the printing room had thrown out the last of his portion for delivery, and he could remember everything. But they were far too dull. He brushed his thumb over the largest, ugliest four words on the top. The New York Times. Maybe one day he’d grow to love the font. 

 

“You’ve got to stop meddling with the paper, man. And get going, everyone’s gonna want to read that piece about fag marriage legalization.”

 

Fag. That word was as ugly as Frank himself. And Frank was hideous. 

 

He grabbed the third stack of his portion and tried to balance it on the back of his bike. Well, it wasn’t his. Frank had loaned him his when he wrecked his own, riding into the maple tree in front of the Garfield’s. It wasn’t the most pretty sight when he finally managed to pull himself up and fling the paper into their yard, all these while nursing a banged up knee. He was certain the son of the Garfield’s went to his school. And he was certain that was him tending to the daffodils that day. At least he didn’t see Jesse riding away on two twisted wheels. 

 

Jesse pulled up the zipper on his hoodie, then threw on the hood. It didn’t matter that it was 35 degrees out; the hoodie made him feel safe. He didn’t want those stuck up, trashy girls from his school recognizing him. He’d never hear the end of it if they recognized him. Besides, he could spy on Mr Daffodils without looking like a stalker. His hood granted him anonymity. Swinging out onto Delancey, Jesse begun the horror of his summer break. He didn’t like delivering papers. He didn’t even like cycling. But he had to pay for tuition and buy that coat Hallie Kate’s been longing for her 9th birthday. She would press her pasty soft face into the glass at Macy’s every time he brought her swimming, both to and from the pool. And those big, puppy eyes made no stain on the glass, but her disappointment did. Jesse knew he needed to get it, even though it was pink and fluffy and completely hideous to him. 

 

Forrester’s. Norman’s. Simone’s. Hudson’s. He mentally ticked off each name as he sped along the houses. It’s his fourth summer delivering to these houses, and he’d remembered all their names, the flowers they had, the colour of their gates. But they never remembered him. It’s okay, he thought. His hoodie probably hid most of his face anyway. Goodman’s. Copeland’s. Hughes’. The Hughes had a nice place. Three storeys, giant yard, swimming pool, Labrador. Once Jesse had aimed the paper rather inaccurately, and it landed in the pool with a splash that woke the dog. Frank halved his pay for that week. Thredson’s. Veron’s. Todd’s. Oliver’s. 

 

And there he was, last house of the stretch. It was modest, decent. Nice yard, clean porch, gorgeous garden. Jesse stopped pedaling, letting the gears whirl to a halt five trees away from the Garfield’s. It was 7:53am. He had 7 minutes to deliver the Garfield’s paper, make a trip to Dunkin’s for Frank’s strawberry filled (and perhaps a glazed for himself) and head back to the delivery room for his payday. Today was payday. He would take the money, bring it home and get the rest from under his desk, bring it to Macy’s, buy the pink mass of fur and make his sister’s day. That’s what he should’ve done. 

 

Instead, Jesse got off the bicycle with the final paper of the day in his hand. He stuffed his other hand in the pocket of his hoodie, and peeked out from behind a tree. His wet curls stuck out from beneath his hood, his forehead glistening under the summer heat and he looked like a lovestruck, infatuated teenager pining for his lover. Lover? Did he just think that? He didn’t even know his name, all he remembers, all that has seared in his mind beneath his curls, are Mr Daffodils’s slender fingers, his off-white cotton slacks that hugged his thighs so perfectly and most of all, that big hair. That big, combed back strands that adorned his Bambi face so immaculately. 

 

Only this time, he wasn’t in the yard. Jesse sighed softly, throwing his hood off and scratched his head. He was hoping the Garfield’s son would make another appearance, and he could cycle past, throw him his paper and watch him wrap his green fingers around it midair, flashing the cutest grin as he falls in love with Jesse. Bullshit. Jesse pushed Frank’s bike slowly along the Garfield’s yard, hurling the paper without so much as a glance. 8.05am. He can forget about his glazed.


	2. At Macy's

“Strawberry filled, bag please.”

 

Jesse drummed his fingers on the countertop. He could feel his pocket vibrating but he knew it was just Frank wanting to scream at him, and he wasn’t going to allow that. He spotted Macy’s across the street. It was glitzy, glamorous. And nothing like what he and Hallie Kate belonged to. They weren’t poor or starving, no, none of that. But they weren’t well off either. They didn’t have a three storey house with blooming daffodils. And they certainly didn’t have a fine, debonair gentleman tending to them. 

 

He was fifteen minutes late. That meant a third of his final pay cut. Jesse counted the wad of twenties as he strolled out of Frank’s office. It’ll have to do, he couldn’t stand looking at his sister’s disappointed face any more. He’d go without lunch for next week. Pulling on his hood again, Jesse stuffed his pay into the hoodie pocket and ran, his flip flops making a ruckus that was drowned out by the New York morning rush. 

 

“I’m gon-eth beesh lateth!” Hallie Kate tried to speak through the foam of her toothpaste, standing at the door with her lopsided pigtails. “Toof you looooogvd enufff.”

 

“Stop trying to speak Hallie Kate, you’re making a mess on your uniform and you look absolutely monstrous. Did you tie those yourself?” Jesse threw his keys on the couch and ushered Hallie Kate rather roughly into the bathroom while she spat out the foam and garbled more incomprehensible sentences into the basin. Jesse did her hair ever since she started school, and even though he has tried to teach her the importance of symmetry of pigtail-tying, she never did grasp the skill. He spun her around and smoothed out her front, before ribboning her curly pigtails and rushing her to get her bag. The bus would be here any minute. 

 

“Hey Jesse, Mrs Richie taught us how to draw flowers yesterday and I drew some for you. It’s on the fridge.” Hallie Kate flashed a toothy smile at her brother, before running out the door towards the tooting bus. She turned for a brief moment, and waved cheerily before boarding. Jesse stood by the door, grinning. That was why the newspaper job and doing the dishes at Fat Jack’s on weekends was worth it. He’d do anything just to see his sister happy.

 

He headed towards the fridge, the crayoned sketch getting clearer and clearer. They were yellow daffodils. The Garfield’s yard popped into mind. Or rather specifically, Mr Daffodil did. Jesse grabbed some pins from the kitchen drawer and stuck the drawing on his corkboard above his desk, along with the bills and a picture of Hallie Kate’s first day at school.

 

Macy’s. He needed to get to Macy’s. Jesse fished around his desk for the rest of his money, and counted exactly a hundred and fifty bucks. He took an extra five for the glazed he missed this morning and headed out. 

 

It wasn’t a long walk, but under the sweltering heat Jesse started perspiring all over. He was glad to see Macy’s large glass doors sliding open for him, a grand welcome before they cruelly took two and a half week’s worth of delivering papers plus a week’s lunch. And still it was worth it. For Hallie Kate. Jesse pulled at his t-shirt awkwardly. He’d left his hoodie at home, and the shirt was way too small for his skinny yet broad frame. He had on his flip flops again; they were the only pair of footwear he felt comfortable in. Needless to say, Jesse’s attire didn’t befit Macy’s grandeur. He wondered if he would ever fit anywhere for that matter. Never mind that. He would get the coat and be on his way. Jesse headed for the children’s department, ignoring the screaming toddlers and their overprotective mothers. Parental love was overrated. He felt more than embarrassed as he grabbed the coat on display, the last piece available. He was lucky he got it; the sale had left hundreds of bratty girls getting one for themselves even though they already had ten other coats in their pink princess wardrobes. Hallie Kate owned one, and even that was passed down from Mrs Richie’s daughter. Hallie Kate deserved this. 

 

Jesse stole cursory glances around him, ruffling his curls before rushing towards the counter. He was sure that lady in brown was giggling at him. Who did she think she was? She didn’t know him. He was doing this because his sister meant the world to him. His flip flops slapped the polished tiles noisily as he muddled over, placing the coat on the counter rather rudely. 

 

“May I get this?” It sounded more like a command, an instruction. Jesse hadn’t meant it like that. He was just how he spoke, and the dirty looks thrown at his untidy raiment while he purchased a pink fluffy coat didn’t help at all. 

 

“Sure. A hundred and sixty five please.” The cashier didn’t keep the annoyance out of her voice either. Jesse dug at his pockets and paused. A hundred and sixty five? 

 

“Isn’t it a hundred and fifty? I just saw the sign on your display earlier this morning.”

 

“The sale ended an hour ago.”

 

Mother f. Jesse looked down at his toes, wriggling them. Maybe he could just take the coat and run. He could run. He could make it out of the store in fifteen seconds. 

 

He looked up, sheepish. “I uh.. I don’t have enough cash with me right now. M-maybe you could hold this for me while I go get it?” Jesse couldn’t keep the stammer out of his voice. He was embarrassed beyond salvage. He knew the coat would be snapped up by one of those nasty ass kids. And he couldn’t let that happen, he’d saved up far too long for this. 

 

The cashier rolled her eyes. “We can’t hold items, it’s store policy. If you-“

 

“Here’s twenty.”

 

His voice wasn’t deep or mature. Actually, it sounded a little childish, infantile. Or fun. And he’s British. There were his slacks and his big hair. Mr Daffodil. Jesse legitimately died a little. Big hair. Big, sexy hair with Bambi face. 

 

Those long slender fingers proffered a twenty dollar bill. A twenty dollar bill. The twenty dollar bill that would promise Hallie Kate’s endearing laughter all day long after she came back from school. And if he took it, Jesse would never live another day without knowing dignity. Oh my god his fingers. Jesse stiffened a little.

 

“You uh.. No I-I can’t, it isn’t right. You- Just take- I’ll handle it.” Jesse’s pretty sure that came out at an alarming speed but he didn’t care. He needed that coat and he also needed to get out of there and deliver papers and do whatever awkward activities he did best. Mr Daffodil held up the twenty in Jesse’s face and broke out into a smile. 

 

“It’s no problem at all, really. You know what, here, lady. Take it.” Mr Daffodil passed the note to the cashier as she muttered a “Finally, sheesh.” and drew out a five from the register. All this while, Jesse just stared at his big hair and fiddled with the Macy’s paper bag. What the hell just happened?

 

Jesse fled. He fled as fast as possible, feeling the flush in his face eating away at him. He looked back several times to see Mr Daffodil’s back, in his beige polo and slacks. 

 

He was gorgeous. He’d helped him pay for the coat. Jesse had forgotten to say thank you. 

 

And Jesse didn’t hear him calling out behind.


	3. My Paper, Please

Sometimes Jesse didn’t know what he was meant to be. Major awkward nerd with curls no one cared for? He wasn’t cool like that jock in History class. Colin. He didn’t have muscles like he did, or that cheeky smile he wears so often that made all the girls swoon and drool. Jesse owned the simplest wardrobe in all of America, maybe even the world. Two pairs of identical jeans, a couple of garage print tees and three hoodies. Oh, and a pair of beige slacks, just like Mr Daffodil’s. Except they didn’t look as good on Jesse. 

 

He liked boys. Yes, boys. Boys that are hot, boys that are cute, boys that are funny. Boys he’d never be. Once after athletics, Jesse had stumbled into the locker room with a dozen rugby boys after their practice. It was heavenly, but he had to get out before they started noticing his tented shorts. And when he turned around to leave, that’s when his face met the sweaty, perfectly sculpted chest of Colin’s. 

 

“Hey, be careful dude!” Colin had smiled and ruffled his curls. 

 

Jesse couldn’t have sped out faster. 

 

He set the coat on their coat rack gently, waiting for Hallie Kate to come back and throw off her old coat before squealing the house down with delight. He’d be equally as delighted, if only he’d paid for the full price. He didn’t know what to think of Mr Daffodil - was he being nice or maybe he was just trying to quicken the payment so he could pay for his stuff. Or maybe he didn’t want to see Jesse embarrassed. 

 

Maybe he was as in love with Jesse as Jesse was with him. 

 

Probably not. 

 

The patter of trainers loudened. Hallie Kate burst through the pinewood door, her pigtails obviously redone on her own. She’d never let anyone else other than her brother to touch her hair. And it didn’t help that she wasn’t any good with it. 

 

“Sophie was completely mean to me. She told me that Patrick couldn’t marry Steven because they were boys and boys couldn’t marry. And she broke of Patrick’s head!” 

 

That sounded extremely dramatic. 

 

“Who’s Patrick and Steven again?”

 

“Our dolls from art class!”

 

Jesse didn’t know whether to burst out at her homophobic friend (and at such a young age too) or at Hallie Kate for not noticing her new coat. 

 

“Well.. She doesn’t know anything about marriage. Don’t play with her.” Jesse spoke rather curtly. 

 

“I told her to sew Patrick a new head. She’d better -“

 

The squealing started and only ended after a meal of potatoes and chicken nuggets. 

 

Hallie Kate held on to her new coat as Jesse pulled the covers up to her chin. “Sophie’s gonna be completely jealous..”

 

Jesse smiled, the kind you do without showing your teeth because you feel so warm and buttery. 

 

***

 

Jesse was back at the Oliver’s. They had forgotten to turn off the sprinklers so he was careful to throw the paper onto their lounge chair where it wouldn’t get wet. He missed.

 

Garfield’s was next. He couldn’t see anyone in the yard; they were probably having a nice cup of English Breakfast in cosy armchairs with their pinkies raised. He realized he was stereotyping, but they are British after all. What else do British people do when they aren’t tending to daffodils and looking bloody charming?

 

Jesse had planned this elaborate delivery while brushing his teeth last night. He would cycle from the Oliver’s, zoom past the Garfield’s and throw their paper into the yard while he sped away. Okay it wasn’t very elaborate, but it was still a plan. Usually he’d take his time but this time it was different. Jesse had attached a twenty under the elastic band of the paper, along with a note that said, “Thanks for helping me yesterday.” along with a goofy smiley. 

 

And now was the ultimate test of skill - to make sure no one sees him. Jesse doesn’t know why no one shouldn’t see him. Maybe it was just part of the thrill. He pulled up his hoodie, tightened the drawstrings and hopped on his bike. Frank’s bike. This is it, Eisenberg. Do or die. Of embarrassment. 

 

He pedaled. He hastened. He aimed. He flung. 

 

The paper flew, with the twenty flapping helplessly. 

 

Jesse wasn’t quite sure which to notice more - the fact that Mr Daffodil just popped out of the daffodil bush and caught the paper with his long, slender fingers, or that the maple tree was once again in his course. He wasn’t much of a multitasker; he usually only does one thing extremely well without any distractions. It happened all the time in school, like when his friend Verity was talking to him about Tyler Oakley’s butt while he wrote an essay about the dangers of the Internet. Tyler’s butt won of course, he flunked that essay. 

 

This time, both options were of equal surprise and shock. Only problem was, he was going too fast to address either.


	4. Maple Trees of Love

Pain was a funny thing. It can make you cry, laugh, swear. Sometimes it’s bearable, sometimes it isn’t. Other times it makes you regret, but for Jesse, pain was all of the above. 

 

The sky was a slit and slowly widened as Jesse blinked around. He could make out the silhouettes of the maple leaves, jagged and crisp. He was aware of his head lying on the cool pavement, and his hair made a squishy sound as he tilted his head. Was that blood on the papers? He heard a massive, obnoxious drone that sounded like a birthing cow. Oh my god, that was him. 

 

The wheel of Frank’s bike was still spinning, only upside down. The handles were bent out of shape and the bell looked like it took a trip round the blender. Jesse lifted a grainy hand and scratched his itch on his head before pain seared through his scalp. 

 

” Do not move! Do not even attempt to move because I’m going to grab some bandages and you are going to lie there and wait for me!”

 

Jesse had forgotten about Mr Daffodil. His pitchy, British voice was soothing and nervy at the same time, but Jesse didn’t feel any better. Ignoring his instruction, Jesse pushed himself up against the fence , trying not to lie his head and bloody the Garfield’s fence. Fucking maple tree. 

 

“Where the fuck did he go?” Jesse could hear him screaming from inside the house. He didn’t know what to make of Mr Daffodil’s panicky and commanding tone, and he definitely wasn’t going to allow him to do him another favour. 

 

Mr Daffodil knelt down beside Jesse, his face twisted into a timid and confused frown that did no justice to his perfection. Jesse was delirious with shock, but he could still mumble incoherently. 

 

“Y-you’ve gotta g-get away. I’m f-fine.”

 

Fine?

 

“Fine? You’re bleeding all over my fence and your knee is completely banged up and you’re murmuring like a newborn. You are certainly NOT fine.” Mr Daffodil was firm, mature and incredibly sexy. 

 

“You’re fineeeeeee..” That was all Jesse could reply before he flopped into Mr Daffodil’s chest.

 

***

 

It was the second time that day that Jesse had woken up from a surface that wasn’t his bunk bed. Once on the grass patch beneath that stupid maple tree and the second.. Where was he now?

 

“Oh god. Oh god oh god you’re awake.” Mr Daffodil jumped up from a stool beside the bed Jesse was currently lying in. He was so tall, so gorgeous and so flustered. 

 

“Am I blind in one eye?” Jesse mumbled again. He could only see from his left eye, and felt a tightness all over his head. He caught his reflection in the bedside mirror as he tried to sit up, and saw his head bandaged in a rather slipshod manner with his curls sticking out in random areas. 

 

“Are you okay? You just died in front of my house just now and there was so much blood and your knee was dead too and you weren’t speaking to me but I heard you breathing and I felt your heart beating and..”

 

Jesse stopped listening after that last sentence. Okay the whole thing was a sentence but it was that last part that caught his attention. Felt his heart beating. Felt? That would mean his long, slender fingers on his chest. Jesse didn’t know how else to describe his fingers. Mr Daffodil touched him. 

 

Jesse’s cock twitched a little.

 

”.. I was so afraid you’d really die and there was your blood all over me and I was certain someone would see me carrying you into the house and think that I murdered you and that wouldn’t be ideal at all, would it?” He finally paused for a breath. 

 

“Y-you’ve got to let me go. Thanks for your help, but -“

 

“You’re not going anywhere, mister. Look at you!”

 

Yeah, I look like a fucking mummy, Jesse thought.

 

“I’m fine. Just let me grab my phone..”

 

Shit. Where was his phone? Jesse stumbled a little as he tried to find support to hold himself steady while he looked for his phone. 

 

He found Mr Daffodil’s arm. 

 

“Your phone was flung about ten yards when you crashed..” Mr Daffodil, with his other free arm, shyly took Jesse’s wrecked phone from his dresser and handed it over. Jesse stretched out an equally badly bandaged hand and held it gently in his palm, like a baby bird. He sat back down on the bed, clearly upset. How was he going to text Hallie Kate from now on? And was there any part of him that wasn’t mummified?

 

“Don’t worry too much about that, at least you’re fine now!” Mr Daffodil stretched out an arm over Jesse’s shoulder. Jesse shuddered. This was the second time in two days that this amazingly pretty, daffodil-tending, money-offering, Jesse-saving stranger had helped him. This was not happening. Jesse’s awkward shell took over. 

 

Jesse shot of out the bed. “I-I need to go. Thanks for all your help, Mr Daff-“

 

Oh crap, he did not just say that. 

 

“Andrew.”

 

Jesse smiled slightly, feeling the bandages tighten. “Thanks Andrew.”

 

“H-hold on a sec,” Andrew flipped open a drawer and pulled out an iPhone. “Use this for now, it’s not new but it still works so you can have it for the time being.” He held out the sleek white iPhone sheepishly, with a look so innocuous that made Jesse want to grab him by the neck and kiss the air out of him.

 

“Thanks.” Jesse hobbled out as fast as he could.

 

***

 

Jesse tried to ignore the stares as he pushed another wrecked bike back home while looking like a zombie. His hoodie was torn slightly at the sleeves, his shorts caked with dirt and of course, Andrew’s signature nursing abilities. The shock of the accident didn’t quite rattle him as much, it was the fact that he just slept on the bed of the boy he likes and that he just gave him an iPhone. An iPhone that was probably worth more than double his wardrobe. 

 

He let Frank’s bike fall sideways onto his creaky floor. Didn’t matter, it was in a worse state than the one he owned. He’d have to think of an explanation for Frank later. Right now, he had boy issues to settle. Boy issues he never had. 

 

Easing himself into a chair, he fished out Andrew’s iPhone with two free fingers. He hit the round button at the bottom, and the screen flashed to life. It was a picture of Andrew and a girl in the background, with Andrew’s arm around her like he did to Jesse earlier on. Great, he’s straight. And who wouldn’t be around that beautiful girl? Jesse ran a finger over Andrew’s face, feeling the smoothness of the matte screen before he slid the same finger across the bar that said “slide to unlock”. Another screen slid over, prompting Jesse for a password.

 

“It’s ‘kissedaboy’.”

 

Jesse startled violently, banging his knee against the bottom of the desk. “Fuck!” 

 

He turned around just in time to see Andrew’s Bambi face morph into the same flustered expression he had just now. Was he stalking him?

 

“Are you okay?! Oh gosh I didn’t mean to startle you, I just remembered there was a password and your door was unlocked so I let myself in and -“

 

“Did you follow me home?”

 

“Well, yeah. I needed to make sure you were okay! I couldn’t let you walk home alone with a banged up knee and a mummified head.”

 

“You did this!” Jesse gestured to his bandages. This guy was unbelievable.

 

Andrea’s face fell. “It’s been a while since I did first aid, and your hair was so curly, it made it so much more difficult to bandage your wound!”

 

Jesse realized he has been staring at Andrew’s bobbing Adam’s apple. He wanted to taste it through his flawless skin and suck on it like a infant on his mother’s teat. 

 

What the fuck did he just think?

 

“In any case, I’m sorry for barging in like that. You look better now so I guess I should go.” It didn’t seem possible, but unhappy Andrew was even sexier than before. Jesse felt aroused and guilty at the same time. Andrew started walking, his loafers making no sound on the floorboard. 

 

“Wait, wait up. Andrew.” It felt weird not calling him Mr Daffodil. Jesse unravelled the bandages on his right hand and grabbed the nearest pen.

 

“If it’s okay with you.. could you give me your number?” Jesse opened his palm and offered it to him, albeit covered with scratches. 

 

Jesse had asked for a girl’s number once. Verity’s. She was his desk partner in Art History, and she had been the one to break the wall-thick ice between them after three lectures of silence. 

 

“Why do you keep wearing hoodies?”

 

“I uh.. They keep me safe.”

 

“Your curls are cute.” She then reached out and pulled back a curl, and made a ‘twang’ sound effect as it bounced back into place. Jesse knew then that they’d be friends. 

 

But now, it was a boy. Not just any boy, Andrew. Andrew the Daffodil Nurse. Andrew the Amazing. Andrew the Sexy. Andrew the Lanky British Boy. Andrew the -

 

“I’m not gonna write it on your dead palm. Here, I’ll key it into the iPhone.”

 

Was every injured part of Jesse dead to him?

 

Andrew tossed the phone back to Jesse after he was done. “I guess I’ll.. see you around then?”

 

Jesse’s inner fangirl fluttered. “See you, Andrew.”


	5. Di Cenare Con Me?

It’s been three hours since Jesse got into bed. He could hear Hallie Kate snoring softly in the room next door, and the digital clock shone a bright fluorescent orange glow. 2.34am. Jesse felt blindly around the ledge above his bed and grabbed the iPhone. He didn’t really know how to use it, but he figured he should thank Andrew for the phone and for nursing him. Although he got a little crazy with the bandages. 

 

The Messages app opened with a soft touch. 

 

“Hey Andrew. Just wanted to thank you proper for the phone and the bandages. I’ll return this to you as soon as I get a new one. Jesse.”

 

Hold on. Andrew didn’t know his name. He didn’t ask for his name at all. 

 

Jesse added, “The maple tree boy.”

 

He placed the phone back on the ledge carefully and pulled the covers over himself. Three seconds later, the phone vibrated with a bloody loud ruckus. Jesse grabbed it off the ledge before Hallie Kate woke up. 

 

The text showed up on the lock screen as a preview. “No problem. :-) keep the phone, it’s a spare. :*”

 

There were two things on that screen that disturbed Jesse immensely. Or delighted. 

 

For one, Andrew’s name on the phone was saved as “Drewy”. Drewy seemed like an awfully endearing nickname to input for a stranger that he just gave his phone to. Drewy? Really?

 

For another, the emoticon at the end of the text was peculiar. ‘:*’ didn’t look like any face. Maybe it was a typo? It looked like a man with a spider on his cheek. Jesse decided to try it on Verity. 

 

“U there?” Texting on an iPhone was something he had to get used to.

 

“Eisenberg. It’s 2.48am. R u nuts?”

 

Jesse decided to give the emoticon a shot. It couldn’t be anything vulgar, could it?

 

“Sorry. :*”

 

“You did not just send me that kissy face, Eisenberg. Get off the phone and go to sleep.”

 

Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to reply to that anymore. So that emoticon was a kissy face, like the kind where you purse up your lips to kiss someone? Jesse tried to imitate the face in the dark. He must have looked disgusting. That’s not the point at all. Andrew sent him that kissy face. That is not appropriate at all. The prude in Jesse was stirring up. But he had to reply Andrew somehow, right? And he certainly wasn’t going to add any emoticons to his reply.

 

“U okay? I didn’t scare you off did I?” Andrew sent a second text. Jesse’s thumbs itched to reply a flirty text but his prudery won. 

 

“No of cuz not. See you around.”

 

Jesse held the off button and placed the phone back on the ledge. This was too much for him to handle in a night when he hasn’t even had a date in his life. He was texting a boy. A pretty boy he’s stalked for four summers. He needs a slice of Drewy pie. 

 

He was already raging hard by now. 

 

***

 

“You are so late, missy, and you are gonna get up right this instant. And put away your coat!” Jesse’s authoritarian emerged. Hallie Kate was being a slug on bed and then both of them were going to be late. 

 

Jesse’s knee wasn’t fully healed yet, but he had called in sick for three days and he still hasn’t figured out how to tell Frank about his bike. It’ll cost him about half his monthly pay again and he was already missing lunch for that week. Damn it. 

 

“You could tell Uncle Frank I broke it. He wouldn’t yell at me.”

 

That’s true. Jesse had brought Hallie Kate to the delivery room once because she had a day off at school, and Frank totally fell in love with her. She could sit in his chair, play with his paperweight and call him ‘FrankyPanky’ and Frank would just stand there and smile and offer her sweets. Jesse, on the other hand, gets a scolding for buying a strawberry filled that wasn’t completely filled. 

 

Jesse smiled at his sister’s offer. He wasn’t going to be a wuss. 

 

“C’mon now, let me do your hair, the bus will be here any minute.”

 

After Hallie Kate bounded cheerily to her bus and mouthed a toothy goodbye, the iPhone vibrated again. 

 

“I left the twenty you gave me behind the daffodils sketch on the fridge. Pay me back when you return the iPhone. x”

 

Drewy strikes again. That sneaky bastard; how much was Jesse going to owe him? And they barely even know each other. Jesse would’ve thought otherwise, but the kissy face last night made Jesse a tad surer that the ‘x’ was a kiss as well. As in ‘xoxo’ from that show Frank always watches on his laptop. Gossip Girl?

 

At least he’d be able to have lunch for a few days. 

 

“I’m at your door btw.” A second text flown in before Jesse could reply. Jesse unconsciously threw the phone onto the couch and ran both hands through his curls. 

 

What the fuck, Andrew. 

 

He had a mini panic attack. Why was Andrew at his door? And why would he want to be there? Are his curls in place? Does he look attractive? Does Andrew want to have -

 

Andrew does not want to do that. Andrew is a straight boy with a girlfriend and Jesse needs to open that door now. 

 

Jesse peeked through the peephole in his door. Andrew stood a few inches away, texting away on his phone. Maybe it’s his girlfriend. Jesse glanced at the wallpaper again, and for a moment he wanted to be the girl in that picture. 

 

Jesse took a deep breath, and swung the door open.

 

“Jesse, my boy!”

 

His boy?

 

Andrew broke out into the most endearing laughter and enveloped Jesse in his long, firm, sculpted, muscular, toned arms. Just arms. 

 

“How’ve you been?”

 

Jesse found himself rendered speechless. This boy, this gorgeous SOAB is hugging the air out of Jesse and acting like they’ve known each other for ages. But truth be told, Jesse’s known him for four summers, wants to have sex with him and he’s definitely not making it any easier with his groin making contact with Jesse’s. Jesse’s got to pull away. 

 

But he didn’t. 

 

“I-I’m f-fine. I was just about to head out for lunch. What are you doing - I c-cant breathe..” Jesse flailed helplessly. 

 

Andrew let go immediately, flushed in the face. “Oh gosh I’m so sorry! Are you alright? Oh man I’m such a klutz -“

 

“Come on in.”

 

Jesse pulled at the collar of his hoodie, trying to ease his breathing. He closed the door behind Andrew and wondered how else can Andrew surprise him any more than he already has. 

 

“Let’s go for lunch. I know a great place - Italian. You’d love it.”

 

Jesse could not believe this guy. What is wrong with him? First at Macy’s, then his bed, then Jesse’s house and now an Italian lunch?

 

” I don’t think I can afford it, Andrew.” Jesse trailed off, slightly embarrassed. He didn’t like people knowing about his financial issues, but Jesse didn’t know how else to get rid of Andrew. He bit his lip as he looked up at Andrew’s tall frame. He saw Andrew shudder a little before he smiled widely again. 

 

“No matter. C’mon!” Andrew grabbed Jesse’s hand and pulled him out the door. 

 

*** 

 

Andrew’s wardrobe went a little like this:

1\. A CK knitted jumper

2\. A pair of Jimmy Choo’s 

3\. Bread and Butter jeans

4\. Tommy Hilfiger timepiece

 

Jesse’s wardrobe, or closet, had these:

1\. No name powder blue hoodie

2\. Wal-Mart slacks

3\. Flip flops from a random beach shack

 

There were at a posh Italian restaurant with a name that Jesse couldn’t pronounce. He was still in partial shock that Andrew chucked him in the front seat of his Volkswagen and practically pulled him into the restaurant. 

 

“I’m not going in there, Andrew! We’re taking a bus.”

 

“Oh shut it and get into the car, Jess.”

 

Fifteen minutes of driving and quarrelling later, the same scenario took place. 

 

“Look at me! People are going to stare, I’m not going in!”

 

“Jesse.”

 

It took Jesse about 10 minutes to stop fidgeting with the gold coated menu and decide what to order. 

 

“Alright sir, so it’s the poached salmon and white wine for you. And you sir?”

 

“Aglassofwater.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“He means the squid ink spaghetti with orange squash, please.” Andrew replied sleekly, his British accent aggrandising the entire order. 

 

“Very well.”

 

Jesse glared at Andrew. “What’d you do that for?”

 

“I’m paying, Jesse. And a glass of water costs three bucks here, you might as well get the orange squash.”

 

Orange squash? Jesse wasn’t a kid. Jesse wasn’t Hallie Kate. Hell, even Hallie Kate drinks the occasional coffee! 

 

“I couldn’t let you do that, you’ve already helped me with the coat at Macy’s, and- and you’ve helped me with the crash and now you’re buying me lunch?”

 

Andrew didn’t reply. He just stared dopey-eyed at Jesse, grinning intently. 

 

Jesse wanted to slap his face and tear his clothes off.

 

“Sooooooo, you deliver papers.”

 

“I do.”

 

“How long?”

 

“Every summer since 2008.”

 

“No wonder the papers always smell better during summer.”

 

What?

 

“Umm.. They do?”

 

***

 

The meal was delish. Compliments to the chef, Andrew had told the waiter before tipping him. Jesse just stood shyly by his side, watching Andrew’s bobbing Adam’s apple again. He smelled like cinnamon buns and clouds. 

 

They strolled out, Andrew in chirpy chatter, Jesse’s hands in his hoodie pockets. He wasn’t talking much, but it wasn’t because he didn’t want to. It was because he didn’t know how to behave around this stranger that seemed to have taken a liking to ruffling his curls. 

 

“I really like you, Jesse. You’re like the little brother I never had.”

 

“I’m twenty this year.”

 

“So am I.”

 

They reached Andrew’s car and they rode back to Jesse’s apartment. The smooth leathered seat, the soft cellos, Andrew’s scent. They made Jesse really sleepy.

 

When Jesse rubbed his eyes open just like a little boy would, he found himself in the backseat. Alone? No, not alone at all. Not the least bit alone. 

 

He was lying on Andrew’s lap.

 

Jesse shot up instantly. He could feel the warmth of Andrew on one cheek, and it felt so good. Too good, in fact. Andrew startled a little, losing the page on the book he was reading. Prayers For Bobby. 

 

“I uh- I’ve got to go. I’ve got to go. Thanks for the meal and ride bye.” Jesse stumbled and fell on the curb before away, not daring to look back. Of course, he didn’t see Andrew looking out the backseat window. And he didn’t see his crestfallen expression.

 

Jesse locked the door behind him. 3.37pm. Hallie Kate would be back at 5. He had an hour half to freak out.

 

He pulled out the iPhone. 5 texts from Verity.

 

“EISENBERG WAT R U DOING IN A VOLKSWAGEN.”

 

“OMG R U DEAD.”

 

“TEXT ME U IDIOT”

 

“OMG OMG OMG HE’S CARRYING YOU OUT WTFFFFFFFF”

 

“JESSE ADAM EISENBERG U BETTER REPLY ME THE SECOND U SEE THIS OR SO HELP ME I WILL MAKE U REGRET SIGNING UP FOR ART HISTORY.”

 

Hasn’t she ever heard of dozing off and small letters?

 

Jesse sighed and plopped down on the couch. How on earth did she see all that? He hazarded a reply.

 

“He’s a friend. I fell asleep in his car. And where the hell were you?”

 

Verity buzzed back almost immediately. “I WAS AT THE JUNCTION WHEN HE PULLED INTO YOUR BLOCK AND I SPOTTED YOUR DAMN CURLS IS HE UR BF OMG U R NOT GONNA DITCH ME R U”

 

She hasn’t heard of punctuation marks either. 

 

“I’ll see you tomorrow at the library Verity, meanwhile just hold your horses alright.”


	6. ;)

“What’s your last name Jess?”

 

Andrew texted while Jesse was watching Dinotales with Hallie Kate after dinner. Hallie Kate scratched her tummy and immediately noticed the iPhone.

 

“You got yourself an iPhone? Jesse that’s not fair!”

 

“It’s not mine, it’s a friend’s. Mine got wrecked when I crashed, remember?”

 

“Oh. Is Andrew your boyfriend?”

 

Jesse blushed. He wasn’t going to answer that. Maybe because he was afraid of his answer. 

 

“Watch your telly, Hallie Belly.”

 

Jesse grabbed the phone from the coffee table and walked off to his room. He texted back, “It’s Eisenberg.” 

 

“Teehee Jesse Eisenberg ;)”

 

Was that a winky? Jesse knew all about winkies, a winky could make the most innocent of texts naughty. 

 

“What you up to tonight? ;)”

 

“Are you wearing that top today? ;)”

 

“Would you like a hotdog? ;)”

 

“Sure is warm today ;)”

 

Sometimes it was a typo, like someone meaning to use the colon and accidentally pressed semi colon instead. Except Jesse wasn’t sure if Andrew meant it as a typo at all. He didn’t exactly know what to text back. 

 

“Who’s that girl in your wallpaper?” Jesse needed to know. And now seemed like a good time to ask considering how flirtatious Andrew is now.

 

“My sister. Andrea Garfield. You diggin that?”

 

Jesse almost jumped for joy. That expression rarely materialized, rather cliché really. Jesse more of bounced for joy on the edge of the bed. He didn’t know what for though. 

 

“Nah that’s silly.”

 

“You’re silly.”

 

Did this count as sexting? Principal James addressed this during one of his vapid sex education talks last month. Said they shouldn’t ‘sext’ because it resulted in unwanted pregnancies. What a prude. Well, this was with a guy, no pregnancies at stake here. 

 

But Jesse didn’t know how to do this either. He panicked. 

 

“I’m going to sleep now, ttyl. Goodnight Andrew”

 

“Nights Jess. <3”

 

Jesse had on the brightest smile on his face when he called Hallie Kate to bed. 

 

“Stop being weird Jesse, and I want to meet this Andrew guy.” Hallie Kate yawned and fell right asleep.

 

Sure, Jesse thought. That makes two of us.

 

***

 

Jesse sneaked one of Hallie Kate’s colored papers and wrote an apology to Frank on it. He contemplated added a heart at the end of the apology but decided against it. He didn’t need to give Frank another reason to bite his head off.

 

“Frank? I uh, I need to speak to you before I start my shift today.” Jesse said rather softly, racing himself for the onslaught of Frank’s signature scoldings.

 

“No need. This gentleman already explained that it was his fault, he distracted you and you, being the goon you are, crashed. Besides, he donated new bikes to the company.”

 

Jesse didn’t need an introduction when Andrew slid out from behind the door. This man is crazy. Jesse was frankly at his wits’ end, Andrew was being too nice for words and it needed to stop before Jesse’s hypothetical ovaries imploded. Especially when he’s looking all dapper in that sweater vest and skinny jeans.

 

“I’ll get you your strawberry filled, Frank. And Andrew, we’ve got issues to discuss.”

 

***

 

Andrew rode cheerily beside Jesse as he delivered the papers. Jesse could barely ignore his melodious whistling and the occasion jab in the side when they got close enough. 

 

“Why are you doing this?”

 

“What do you mean, this?”

 

“Quit playing, you know what I mean. All the gifts, favours.” Jesse wanted to add flirting to the list. “We met a week ago, Andrew. You shouldn’t be behaving like that.”

 

That came out a little more harsh than Jesse had intended, but at least he knew he got the message across when Andrew stopped whistling.

 

“I just, I just enjoy doing things for you, Jesse. I don’t mean any harm, helping you out just makes me feel better.”

 

“Maybe you should stop making me your charity case because I clearly don’t need your help.”

 

Oh fuck. 

 

They had reached Andrew’s house. Andrew slowed down to a stop beside the maple tree. Jesse dismounted and walked over to Andrew with the paper in his hand. 

 

“Look, I didn’t mean it like that. Everything has just been so confusing lately and-“

 

“It’s okay.” Andrew looked up intently. “I should go.”

 

They held a few seconds of silence before Andrew decided he had to do something. He didn’t want them to quarrel before they even made proper friends. 

 

“Would you like to come in for some tea?”

 

Jesse smiled slightly. “Only if you promise to stop adding to the list of things I already owe you.”

 

Andrew hooked Jesse’s pinky with his. ” I promise.”

 

Jesse had seen a lot collections. Verity had a collection of shoelaces, from muddy ones to glowing ones. She insisted that shoelaces were the backbone of movement. His other friend Julius had a collection of door knobs. Hallie Kate had a collection of hair ribbons. 

 

But Andrew’s tea collection was amazing. Chamomile, earl grey, English breakfast, chai, fruity ones, Chinese, some rare breed of a flower. He had a whole cabinet dedicated to tea bags, and grinned proudly as he told Jesse to take his pick.

 

“I’ll go with lemon.”

 

Before long, Jesse and Andrew were lounging on beanbags and sipping tea from their intricately designed teacups. Andrew’s laugh came on every now and then and Jesse could swear it was the most pleasant sound he’s heard. 

 

“Andrew,” Jesse said between his laughs. “Why are you really doing these for me?”

 

Andrew’s laugh faded gradually, and he put away the tea set before leaning towards Jesse’s beanbag. He got closer and closer, and Jesse felt warmer and warmer. Their knees touch.

 

“You’re really special. To be honest, I’ve seen you in History class, sitting at the back with that girl.”

 

Jesse could feel Andrew’s jeans rubbing against his leg hairs. He shifted uncomfortably in his beanbag.

 

“And I’m glad you had that little accident that day. I’d never have gotten the chance to talk to you if that didn’t happen.”

 

Their arms were touching now, as Andrew began to encroach onto Jesse’s beanbag. Jesse started to sink further into the beanbag, still holding on to his cup of lemon tea. God, he wanted Andrew so fucking bad.

 

Andrew stopped talking, and was dangerously close to Jesse’s face. The air between them thinned, and for a moment Jesse could swear he felt Andrew’s breath on his arm. He shuddered. In fact he shuddered a tad too violently.

 

The tea spilled onto Jesse’s shorts, soaking through the cotton and slightly scalding him. The moment was immediately ruined.

 

“Oh my gosh Jesse, are you alright? Here, let me grab some Kleenex.” Andrew’s inner nurse emerged yet again. He rushed out of the room, making a ruckus as he searched the hall for napkins. 

 

There were two reasons why Jesse stayed put in that beanbag. For one, standing up would mean spilling more tea onto the carpeted floor. For another, and probably the more important reason, Jesse had a major boner. 

 

Andrew reappeared with two boxes of Kleenex. “Get up! And get out of those shorts before you scald yourself any further.”

 

Andrew was the one scalding him.

 

Jesse clutched the sides of the beanbag tightly. “Why don’t you uh, just leave the napkins here. I can take care of this.”

 

Andrew rushed forward and started grabbing Kleenex. “You are being absolutely silly, Jesse.” Andrew started mopping Jesse up. “You’re gonna be all sticky if you-“

 

Jesse was wide-eyed. So was Andrew. And this was because Andrew’s Kleenex was barely a barrier to Jesse’s boner. 

 

“You-“

 

“Oh god I’m sorry Andrew, I know this is wrong and-“

 

Andre didn’t give him a chance to finish explaining the cause of his boner. Andrew knew the cause. Andrew was the cause. And Andrew was the cure as well.

 

He rushed forward, slamming his lips into Jesse’s. Their tongues found each other instinctively. It wasn’t as slobby as Jesse imagined a French kiss would be. It was sexy, so damn sexy and Andrew was so damn desirable and Jesse needed him. He needed this. 

 

Jesse tasted wonderful: minty, refreshing and flowery all at the same time. His fingers found Jesse’s soaked shorts and groped blindly until they found the wet outline of Jesse’s dick. Andrew squeezed, sliding his hand up and down Jesse’s shorts as Jesse groaned against his mouth.

 

“An-Andrew, you’ve got to stop..”

 

As if Jesse really meant that. 

 

Andrew increased his pace, and slid the other hand into Jesse’s curls and pulled him in closer. His own dick was rubbing against Jesse’s leg and he knew he couldn’t hold out much longer. Two young men, making out on a beanbag and ready to have the orgasm of a lifetime.

 

Jesse felt his own dick twitch violently before Andrew let out the sexiest moan and fell face flat into Jesse’s chest. The beanbag sighed and sank under the extra weight as Andrew giggled into Jesse’s soiled shorts.

 

“You did end up sticky after all.”

 

***

 

Jesse could feel his boxers soaking. With lemon tea, of course. And all of a sudden, everything was wrong. The kissing was wrong, the groping was wrong, the orgasms were wrong, Andrew resting on his crotch was wrong. 

 

The prudery arose. 

 

“Andrew.. Andrew get up.” He didn’t care if he sounded cold. They weren’t supposed to be doing this. Andrew got to his knees and panted a little, placing a palm over Jesse’s knee. 

 

“What’s wrong? Did.. did I hurt you? Jesse -“

 

“I need to change.”

 

Jesse got up from the beanbag, albeit with much difficulty. He needed to be alone, to get out of his soiled clothes, to wash Andrew’s taste off his lips. He kissed someone. And they came together in their underwear. This completely disrupted the stranger-loser dynamic. He was afraid of what he did, what others would think if they knew that him, Jesse Adam Eisenberg, paper boy extraordinaire, just allowed the most gorgeous boy on earth to give him a handie and dry hump his leg. What would Hallie Kate think if she knew her brother was a little pervert making out with other boys in their beanbags? 

 

“You sick fuck.” Jesse mumbled, looking at himself straight in the eye in the mirror. He took off his hoodie and shirt, staring at his scrawny, under-exercised physique. He could hear Andrew knocking on the toilet door, asking if he’s alright, but all he listened to were the drips of the faucet.

 

Jesse finally opened the door, not looking Andrew in the eye. Was he crying? He wanted to relive that whole episode again, and kiss Andrew in places that would make him shudder with pleasure. He wanted Andrew to be his and his only, like a child’s first toy. Except Jesse couldn’t handle it at all.

 

“Andrew, I’ve gotta go. I’m sorry about the beanbag.” Jesse tugged uncomfortably at the hem of his shirt, trying to hide the slight bulge and the giant stain in front of the zipper. He thought about all the times he fled from situations he was awkward or uneasy in. There were too many to count, and each time Jesse got better and better at avoiding the problem. This time wasn’t an exception. 7:53am. There was time for a glazed.


	7. Ice Ice, Baby

“I’ll get the silver one. The one- yes.”

 

Jesse had saved enough for a new phone. It was the same crappy one he had, but at least there was a keypad. He could never get used to the touch screen. It took him three weeks, all the way to the end of summer, to save enough for a new phone, to pay Andrew back and buy him a new beanbag sleeve. They sold those at a quaint little shop two blocks from his house, and he’d picked powder blue. Jessie’s favourite. He also took three weeks to convince himself that the infatuation over Andrew, that fracas at his house, was nothing more than the aftermath of a month without jerking off. That’d explain his primal desire to bone Andrew that badly. Simple case of hormones and a hyperactive dick. 

 

Except that it wasn’t. He didn’t know what to make of what Andrew and him had. Was he gay? Heck, was Andrew even gay? Everything about him screamed straight at his home, the typical messy bedroom, bass guitar and stacks of empty hair gel bottles. But his texts said otherwise. And the incessant favours. They haven’t texted since Jesse decided to be a insensitive, OOC prude and leave Andrew in his soiled pants while his brain went into overdrive and thought of all the possible scenarios that could take place of someone found out and he was doing it again right now. Jesse smacked his forehead in despair. He didn’t want to end it, but he had to.

 

Jesse swung by Dunkin’s and grabbed an Oreo Crush for Andrew before heading to his house for the last paper of the summer. He’d noticed beneath Andrew’s extensive tea collection, a secret Oreo stash was partially hidden. Andrew was a completely kid.

 

He’d planned out his majestic speech. He’d tell Andrew he was extremely grateful for his phone, for the meals and help and that maybe they’ll catch up in the future. That totally sounded like a bitter, unwilling break up Blake Lively would say on GG. Cheesy, but effective and oh so dramatic. 

 

Andrew didn’t have a doorbell, so Jesse had to just the giant knocker on his front door. Maybe it was an English thing. 

 

Andrew opened it after five knocks and fourteen seconds. He was in his pajamas - Spider-Man one piece with a butt flap. Classy.

 

“Here. I’ve been holding on to this for too long. And here’s fifty for the Italian meal, bandages and the twenty at Macy’s. See you around.”

 

Andrew’s face stiffened. “What’s the meaning of this?”

 

“It’s everything I owe you. It’s all I have for now.”

 

“Jesse, I never asked for a single penny back and neither did I expect it. Please don’t cheapen our relationship like that.”

 

Cheapen?

 

“Relationship? Andrew, we are a couple of young adults who met slightly more than a month ago. I deliver your paper while you sip your English tea. That’s all.”

 

Andrew looked genuinely incredulous, and part of Jesse wished he could take it all back.

 

“C’mon Jesse, the meal? The - the tea?” Andrew hesitated for a moment. “That?”

 

Andrew silently begged, “Jesse, please don’t do this. Please.”

 

“It’s my last paper of the summer. Guess we won’t be seeing each other that often anymore.”

 

“We haven’t spoken in weeks, Jess. Weeks!”

 

“See you around.”

 

Andrew couldn’t believe Jesse’s nonchalant dismissal of what they had.

 

“See you around then.”

 

***

 

The summer had sped by.. In fact, it’d cooled pretty quickly into autumn by the time Jesse was halfway into his new Comparative Literature class. It was going to be an extended winter. Kids were running around in long sleeves and jeans, even Verity came to class once with leg warmers. 

 

“Shut up Jesse, they’re essential and fashionable.”

 

“Good morning to you too, Verity.”

 

Hallie Kate earned herself a scholarship when she completed her oboe recital last week. The adjudicators from Juilliard were more than impressed when she revealed she was only going on ten, and they decided to sponsor her her own instrument and monthly allowances until she graduates. Jesse was beaming like the sun when Hallie Kate ran up to him and told him the news.

 

“We don’t have to worry about the bills anymore! And we could have ice cream everyday!”

 

Jesse knew everything was going fine. Correction, Jesse pretended everything was going fine. They were, he had told himself. He didn’t have to worry about finances, Verity had her set of poems published in the school mag, Jesse got a new hoodie. Everything was great, he told himself. One small thing though.

 

A new boy came into Comparative Lit today. He had transferred from Life Sciences ‘in search of a new meaning’. No prizes for guessing who.

 

He strutted into the back row, not even dignifying Jesse’s presence with a nod of the head. Jesse wasn’t surprised; the way he had handled things, he should be glad Andrew hasn’t cornered him at a dumpster yet. Thug life.

 

“Isn’t that Volkswagen boy?” Verity had that lustful intonation again. 

 

“Andrew.”

 

“Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo-“

 

“Oh shush.”

 

Jesse decided they didn’t have a reason to say hello, and they never will. 

 

***

 

It got really cold the next few mornings. Jack Frost decided to be a bitch and the temperatures dropped like a hot potato. The creepy weatherman on the news warned the public about precipitation in the west and central, before croaking up a tune about Jack the Bitch Frost.

 

“Just say fucking snow.”

 

Potterfield Uni was reputed to have the best heating systems in the state. In fact, the heaters made centerfold on their college magazine - a two page, fully coloured description of the heaters. “Get hot with Pot today!”, screamed the pages. Talk about puns and unintended references.

 

And they lived up to their reputation alright. You could see students with fur coats and scarfs as they walk through the school gate but once they were in, everything came off. Classes went on as per normal, everyone perspired and walked around in shorts. It was better here than back at Jesse’s apartment; the heater was subjected to frequent failures especially in winter. Jesse was worried about Hallie Kate at school.

 

“Toasty?”

 

“Yes Jesse, as a burrito.”

 

The heaters worked more than perfectly, but everything had a blind spot. And that blind spot was the Literature Resource room in the west wing of the Houston Building. Whenever Dr Truman gave out materials from that room, it’d be stiff and awfully frosty. It became a punishment for those who didn’t come prepared for lessons to return the materials back to the room after class. Jesse was a veteran for that; not because he didn’t prepare but because Dr Truman just didn’t like people with curls. Or Jews. 

 

Comparative Lit was the last class of the day, ending at half past seven. They had spent two hours taking apart Dante’s Inferno, with Dr Truman babbling on about next week’s assignment.

 

“Bring your texts and the completed worksheet next week.” Dr Truman spoke with a sneer. “New boy. Papers. Lit resource. Return the keys to me tomorrow.”

 

He threw a bunch of keys over to Andrew’s desk. Mind you, there weren’t normal keys. They were the kinds you use when you visited medieval hotels at amusement parks. Those ginormous, rusty ones that could easily be used as a blunt weapon to knock out a croc. Jesse smirked. Truman had found his new target.

 

Verity punched Jesse in the shoulder. “Gotta run, Colin’s playing at George’s tonight and I’ve got to see him rock White Limo. Text you later.” She managed to slip out of the class hiding behind Andrew, and they headed opposite directions. Jesse hoped Andrew knew where the room was. Even though he didn’t care.

 

Truman continued briefing the class about the worksheet before he finally decided to let them go. 7:46pm. Great job, frumpy dumpty.

 

The class cleared out within seconds. Jesse threw on his hoodie and swung his backpack over his shoulder before heading out. He took a cursory scan of his seat, and there it was, sitting two rows back. It was Andrew’s bag. Everyone had forgotten about him. Jesse sighed and weighed his options. He could pretend he didn’t see it and walk away, or be a friend and bring it to him at the resource room, and risk conversation with the one person he’s been working so hard to ignore.

 

He went with being a friend.

 

Jesse hugged Andrew’s bag as he headed towards the Houston Building. Andrea’s scent was on it, and it was bringing back too many thoughts and boners. He had to return it fast.

 

Arts resource. Media lab. Toilets. Lit resource. Jesse saw the same bunch of keys hanging from the keyhole on the outside. No wonder he’d taken so long; Andrew locked himself in. Jesse pulled on the hood before heading towards the door.

 

The keys turned after Jesse gave the lock a violent kick. He pulled the heavy metal door open, feeling the cold, dry air rushing out.

 

“Andrew?”

 

Jesse pulled out the bunch of keys and walked in. He heard some shuffling of shoes before Andrew popped out from behind a shelf, rubbing his arms violently.

 

“Thank goodness, I was starting to - Jesse.”

 

The room suddenly got a lot colder.

 

“Here’s your bag. Everyone bailed, and you were taking so long, I figured I should come and check on you.”

 

Nobody moved. Jesse threw the bag over and turned around to leave. He got to the door and fumbled around for the key that said “In only” and realized that was exactly what it said.

 

The keys were only meant to allow entry - there was no keyhole on the inside.

 

Jesse jabbed the metal door uselessly with the keys. The rust made a few grown streaks on the door, but otherwise the cold, hard truth remained. Pun unintended.

 

Zero heater. One room. Two boys. Three keys. Four testicles.


	8. Too Warm, Too Warm

“Who designed this stupid door?” Jesse hammered on the cold metal, ramming the keys against it until a small dent appeared.

 

“You should’ve put a stopper at the door.”

 

No shit, Sherlock.

 

Jesse was starting to feel the frost in his bones. It wasn’t snowing out yet, but the drafts were a killer.

 

Karma was a bitch. Last June, Jesse emptied Verity’s sunblock into the sand at the beach because she smeared ice cream on his leg. Verity ended up getting a beautiful tan that lasted six hours because she peeled like a ripe banana. And now Jesse was stuck in the same situation, albeit contrasting temperatures. 

 

The duo didn’t say anything to each other. They knew it was already a quarter to nine and that meant they had to wait till the next morning before the janitor comes unlocking every door. Jesse dug his hands deep into his pockets and occasionally under his armpits and between his legs. Toasty. He watched Andrew curl up three feet away from him in his printed tee and jeans, shivering slightly. Jesse opened his mouth to say something, but the frost caught his tongue. Or maybe he just didn’t want to say it.

 

Would you like my hoodie?

 

They sat in silence for the next hour or so, sometimes standing up to stretch and do some hops to generate heat. They were surrounded by yellowing scripts of poems and prose, crinkling classics that were older than their grandparents, and still they couldn’t find anything to talk about. They could discuss Dante under the streaming moonlight, but they didn’t. The silence was deafening. 

 

Andrew finally broke it. “F-f-fuckkkkk.” Jesse could hear the shiver.

 

Jesse felt the waning warmth of his hoodie for the last time before pulling it off. He crawled over to Andrew, lifted his arms and adjusted it over his lean frame. Jesse was glad he always chose the baggy kind, in case he ever needed to warm somebody else up.

 

“Jesse, you don’t have to.” His voice was much more controlled now.

 

“Keep it on.”

 

“Jesse, you’re gonna freeze.”

 

“No matter.”

 

They stopped talking again.

 

“I didn’t mean for it to happen.”

 

“You didn’t mean for what to happen?”

 

“It’s just.. I was trying to clean you up, and I guess I shouldn’t have gone there and -“

 

“Andrew, it was me.” Jesse finally got around to admitting the truth. That he was the pervert that got a hardon whenever it came to Andrew. That he enjoyed every single moment of what happened. That he allowed it to happen. He knew all of that, but somehow it was always easier to pin on someone else and be mad at them.

 

“It was both of us.”

 

“I’m really sorry. I’m sorry that I couldn’t handle this maturely and chose the coward’s way out instead. Andrew -“

 

“You were afraid. And so was I.”

 

Andrew crawled in closer to Jesse. Jesse was left with a polo and slacks, and he was skinnier than Andrew was.

 

“We’ve got to share this.”

 

“It’s too small.”

 

“Lean on me.”

 

Andrew shifted behind Jesse and backed up against a shelf. He pulled Jesse by his bony shoulders slowly, edging him towards his chest until Jesse’s back laid on top of Andrew’s chest. Jesse froze, feeling the Andrew’s warmth against his back and the gentle heaving of his chest. 

 

Andrew grabbed the hem of the hoodie and stretched it over Jesse, so that they shared the same neck hole. Jesse’s back fit perfectly into the firm pectorals of Andrew’s. Neither of them dared to move for a while, afraid of spoiling the arrangement, when all they wanted to do was snuggle.

 

It was in this position that both Andrew and Jesse warmed up, physically and emotionally. It wasn’t weird, it wasn’t awkward, it wasn’t uncomfortable.

 

“You good, Jess?”

 

Jess. It was so nice to hear Andrew call him that again. 

 

“Y-yeah, Andrew.”

 

“Oh my gosh I forgot to call Hallie Kate, she must be freaking out at home alone right now.”

 

Jesse fumbled for his phone in the back pocket, but the stretched hoodie made it really hard for Jesse to reach it. He felt around, and for a moment he knew he brushed against something he wanted more than the phone.

 

Jesse could literally hear the embarrassment in his voice. “I’ll get it, Jesse.”

 

The next episode of butt groping ensued. It wasn’t on purpose, Jesse thought. Or maybe it was. Or maybe Jesse wanted it to be on purpose.

 

“Hallie Kate? Hey Hallie Belly are you alright at home?”

 

Hallie Kate’s was muffled by food. “Mmmmmm I’ll calf you bafffff.” She hung up.

 

“She didn’t even ask where was I! Busy stuffing her face with food, that girl.” Jesse chided her unconsciously. Andre people chuckled, the way Jesse liked it.

 

The phone buzzed.

 

“Not calling. I know you’re with Uncle Andrew tonight so I won’t ask. Tell him I said hi!”

 

Halle Kate could be so cheeky at times. 

 

“You are gonna be in so much trouble tomorrow, little lady. Lights out in ten.”

 

“Luv u.”

 

“Could you tell her not to call me Uncle Andrew?” Andrew jovially commented, and Jesse swore he could see his radiant smile. Everyone was gleeful when it came to Hallie Kate.

 

“Creepy boy it is then.”

 

Andrew laughed again and ruffled Jesse’s curls with his chin. Jesse felt the slight burn of Andrew’s stubble, but smiled in the dark anyway. He didn’t want to spoil the moment by sexualising what they had. 

 

Sometimes Jesse felt alone. He had the one sister he loved more than anything else, and he knew she loved him too. He had Verity, and she would go to the moon and back just to see Jesse engaged and married to the man who loved him. He had other friends in his classes, who’d bump his fist and go “Eisenberg, duuuuuuude”. Those people made up more than half his social life, yet he never really found the person. The person who’d pull his hood down because he wanted to see his eyes. The person who’d listen to how much he liked the thumping of clothes against the spinning washing machine. The person who’d tell him that he didn’t need to dress glamorous or look like a model to be attractive. 

 

He was around so many people everyday. But it was lying here with Andrew, feeling his warmth, that Jesse finally felt okay. It wasn’t an exhilarating, it wasn’t euphoria, it wasn’t exciting. It was okay, and sometimes okay was all he needed. 

 

“A dollar for your musings.”

 

“Is that what they say back in England?”

 

“No, but I’d pay a dollar to hear what you’re thinking.”

 

“Why?”

 

“You’re worth it.”

 

“Andrew, I don’t think -“

 

He was cut off by a soft shush, followed by a soft grip on his wrist.

 

“Get some rest, Jesse.”

 

***

 

Jesse woke up stiff. Stiff in many places. He could hear Andrew snoring softly, and the gentle heaven of his chest was comforting to feel. He tried to, as subtle as possible, ease his way out of the hoodie, but woke Andrew up anyway. 

 

Andrew yawned, Bambi style. “Morning, Jess.”

 

Jesse quickly completed the separation from Andrew and rubbed his arms from the new found cold. He was afraid to turn around, to look at Andrew. To let the slightest bit of emotion leak through that would tell Andrew, that was the best night he’d ever slept through. 

 

But he did turn. And he saw the prettiest twinkle in Andrew’s eyes, the shafted sunlight adorning every brown strand on his face with a soft glow. In that moment, amidst all that has happened between them, Jesse knew he wanted Andrew. 

 

“Morning, Andrew.”

 

The giant metal door creaked for a moment as the sound of the lock unlocking bled through the room. Jesse half expected someone to enter, incredulous at the sight of two boys alone in a room and obviously in love. But no one came in. It was probably just the janitor doing his morning rounds. 

 

“The door is umm, it’s open.”

 

“I know, Jess.”

 

“Shall we..?”

 

“Let’s.”

 

They grab their bags, rearrange the slight mess they made on the shelves and head out of the resource room. The heat hit Jesse instantly. Bloody heaters. 

 

Jesse tapped Andrew on the shoulder. “Andrew, I’d need that back.” He tugged the hoodie. 

 

“I’ll have to wash it first, would you - do you want to come by later to get it?” The same twinkle in Andrew’s eyes sparkled. 

 

“S-sure.”

 

***

 

Hallie Kate had her karate lessons on Saturdays. She barely asked about Jesse when he came back without his hoodie, looking like he just spent a night in heaven. 

 

“You’ve karate in an hour and your pigtails are not done, lady.”

 

“Someone had a good night huh, Jesseeeeeee.” 

 

That cheeky bugger. 

 

“Just come here and let me do your hair.”

 

Two pigtails and some orange squash later, Jesse walked Hallie Kate to the community centre across the road and waved goodbye to her. “Kick some butt, Hallie Belly!”

 

He thought about Andrew’s offer. Jesse had a few reasons not to go. There was the Dante assignment, he hasn’t showered in a day and Saturdays were meant for cleaning up the apartment. Out of the three, he could complete two at Andrew’s. 

 

He was sure Andrew hasn’t showered either.

 

What?

 

He decided to text Andrew first. “You sure you okay with me coming over?”

 

“The scones are done. Kettle’s on too. :-)”

 

Jesse had one of those moments where you smiled along to the smiley on your phone. It made him look stupid, grinning to the phone like that. But it didn’t matter. 

 

Jesse made a left after the community centre and reached Andrew’s gate. Everything looked the same as before, the peeling paint on the fence, the inviting porch, the daffodils. Mr Daffodil. 

 

“C’mon in Jesse!” Andrew yelled from inside the house. 

 

“The scones are by the counter, and the butter’s in the top shelf of the fridge. Grab a stool!”

 

Jesse hasn’t said anything since he entered the house, but he missed this place. He saw the beanbag in Andrew’s room, washed and ready to have two boys make love on it again. Make love? Was that what they did that day? He could smell Andrew’s scent from the hall, even though he was in kitchen buttering the scones. Jesse imagined living here with Andrew and Hallie Kate. Just the three of them. Hallie Kate would love her brother-in-law. 

 

“Serve’s up!”

 

Andrew was wearing the same attire he had on yesterday. 

 

“You haven’t showered.” Jesse said rather sheepishly. 

 

“‘Course not. The scones and tea took time to prepare.”

 

“How’d you know I’d come for sure?”

 

Your precious hoodie’s in the washing now. Besides, you like it here, don’t you?” Andrew chuckled. It was such a beautiful sound. 

 

“Why do you bother with me, Andrew?”

 

Jesse said it. He’d asked himself the same question since Macy’s. He wanted to know, more than anything, why someone as eligible as him would even be slightly attracted to Jesse. Jesse was a mess. He wasn’t rich, handsome, athletic. He wasn’t even completely sure about his sexuality.

 

“You’re my favourite person. Did you know that, Jesse?”

 

“You’re just saying that, you don’t really mean -“

 

“You’re not wealthy. You’re not sporty or model-material either.”

 

Jesse felt a certain anger bubble inside him. He already knew that. 

 

“But you know what you don’t know? You’re smart, awkward, skinny. You wear stupid oversized hoodies that were in fashion during the medieval times. You do your sister’s hair. You deliver papers and crash into trees.”

 

Jesse nibbled furiously at his scone. He wasn’t sure where this was going.

 

“And I bloody love all of that.”


	9. Les Beaux Garçons

Once when he was 7, Jesse held hands with a girl. Her name was Jasmine, and she had several baby teeth missing. 

 

“Jesse and Jasmine both start with J. We should marry each other!”

 

They did. Well, at least on their doodling sheets. Jasmine drew a house with flowers in the yard and both of them holding hands by the door. Jesse had asked her why the two people wore shirts and shorts. 

 

“I don’t know. But I like you.”

 

His reaction then was similar to how he reacted to Andrew now. 

 

Both Jesses choked on milk. 

 

“God, Jesse. Let me grab you a towel.”

 

Jesse reached out and gripped Andrew’s wrist. Andrew paused like a deer in headlights. Pun very fucking much intended. 

 

Jesse wiped the milk off with the back of his hand. “Did you really mean that?”

 

Andrew looked away, laughing. Jesse found himself attracted to his bobbing Adam’s apple again. Andrew stood up. 

 

“You missed a spot,”

 

Andrew leaned forward, his stomach knocking the butter knife off the plate. His lips puckered ever so slightly, just the tiniest bit as he leaned closer and closer to Jesse’s face. 

 

They felt like velvet. The kind you’d find in antique stores, as a surface of an armchair, musty yet delicate. Jesse tried to feel the roughness of dry skin on his cheek, but all he felt was the gentle, moist sucking. 

 

“Right there.”

 

Andrew inched a hair’s distance away from Jesse’s face, and moved up to his ear. He combed a curl behind it, and whispered. 

 

“Every word.”

 

The silence was beautiful. Jesse thought he would’ve retracted into his awkward shell by now, or at least be shaking violently from excitement and fear. But only his hands were clammy. 

 

“Jesse Adam Eisenberg, I’m gonna kiss you in a few moments. But you - I’ve got to know. I’ve got to hear it from you that you won’t run away like the other time. You need to tell me that we’re on the same page here.”

 

Andrew had moved from his ear to inches from his face. Their foreheads were almost touching, and there was that nagging sensation when skin and skin were about to make contact. Jesse longed to dissolve the gap, but there was something he had to do first. 

 

“I’m ready.” Jesse whispered that with a newfound courage. He’d been avoiding this for too long. He wanted this, from Macy’s to the Italian restaurant to the resource room. Andrew was the Daffodil Boy, the boy he had been crushing on for four summers. The crushing stopped now, because Jesse was certain he loved him. 

 

Jesse leaned in and their foreheads touched. His now sweaty curls got in the way, but none of that mattered. He wanted, he needed Andrew’s lips on his. Both pairs met, and Jesse tasted Andrew for the first time.

 

Magic didn’t exist in JK Rowling’s Harry Potter, or like the commentator says it does in Hongkong’s Disneyland. It existed right here, in between Jesse’s and Andrew’s lips. Jesse didn’t know how to kiss; he hasn’t kissed anyone except Hallie Kate’s cheeks and forehead. Lips were a completely foreign surface, but Andrew knew exactly how to help him. His head tilted to one side, running his fingers through Jesse’s curls and pulled him in. His tongue intertwined with Jesse’s, feeling the tiny bumps on his tongue as both of them grew hungrier for each other. It was a blend of lust, carnal desire and overdue yearning. 

 

When Jesse finally broke off, the one syllable that escaped from his love-bitten lips was sexy, breathless and satisfied. 

 

“Fuck.”

 

“Was that your first time?” Andrew cocked his head slightly, almost whispering. 

 

“Y-yeah.”

 

“It won’t be your last, not with me.”

 

Andrew lunged in for a second serving of Jesse’s lips. This time it was hungrier, sloppier, and oh so sexier. Jesse ran his fingers along Andrew’s jawline, pulling him closer and closer with each taste. He found his Adam’s apple, the one organ that titillated him to no end. It wasn’t as sharp as it looked, and Andrew’s skin just felt magnificent. 

 

“I need you.” Jesse muttered between breaths.

 

“You’ve got me right here.”

 

Andrew didn’t wait for a reply. He lifted Jesse by the thighs with his arms around his shoulders, greedily tasting each other. It was messy, but neither of them cared anymore. Jesse yearned for this long enough, and so did Andrew. 

 

Andrew stumbled slightly, carrying Jesse to his bedroom. Jesse had never entered it before; the boundaries always remained at the kitchen and dining table. The musky vanilla-cinnamon scent of Andrew waved over Jesse, and it just made him all the more harder. He can leave exploring Andrew’s room for next time, all he wanted was to explore Andrew now. 

 

Jesse started moving to the nape of Andrew’s neck, gently sucking at his skin. His tongue brushed against Andrew’s Adam’s apple, feeling the hard bone twitch against his warm tongue. Jesse felt him shudder with pleasure.

 

“Do that again, Jesse.” Andrew moaning his name against his ear just amplified Jesse’s lust. He gladly obliged. Jesse could feel the slight burn on his skin from Andrew’s stubble, but he loved it. Quoting his lover, he bloody loved all of it. 

 

Did he just say lover?

 

Andrew pulled off Jesse’s patterned tee, revealing his soft pasty skin. Jesse instantly stopped kissing Andrew and backed away.

 

“Did I do something wrong?”

 

Jesse rubbed his arms cautiously, moving his hands around his chest and underarms. “No.”

 

“Jesse, baby, what’s wrong?”

 

Baby! Jesse flushed a little, smiling slightly at the ground. “It’s just that no one has seen me, well, without clothes on.”

 

Andrew exploded with laughter. It remained the nicest sound Jesse’s ever heard, even if he was laughing at him. 

 

“Thanks a lot.” Jesse snatched his shirt from Andrew and started to put it on. 

 

“Wait, wait, hold on Jesse.” Andrew tried to put on a straight face, although giggles bubbled through now and then. “Were you serious? Jesse, that is the cutest thing.”

 

No, Andrew is.

 

“That’s not cute at all. And you laughed at me.” Jesse sounded genuinely hurt. 

 

Andrew grinned and pushed Jesse onto the bed before lying beside him. He prodded Jesse’s arm.

 

“May I have the honour of seeing you naked then?”

 

“You don’t really want to do that.”

 

“Why?”

 

“I look horrible. Nothing like you.”

 

Andrew sat up and took off his shirt.

 

“See, nothing special.”

 

“You’re gorgeous. I’m not.”

 

Andrew smiled silently, under the glow of the afternoon sun streaming through his curtains. 

 

“You’re fucking beautiful. And if you try and deny that one more time, I’ll have no choice but to tear off your clothes and blow you silly.”

 

“But-“

 

“That’s it.” 

 

Andrew couldn’t stand it any longer. His hardon was straining against his tight jeans and he needed to take them off and have a good taste of Jesse. He unbuckled his Levi’s and pulled them off from the ends, leaving his jockstrap on. 

 

“What the hell are you- Is that a jockstrap?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

Jesse gulped. The sight was stunning: Andrew’s lean frame, bare ass and tenting bulge. 

 

“I’m gonna remove your pants, alright?” Andrew didn’t wait. He yanked Jesse’s slacks off, leaving him in his underwear and squirming uncomfortably on the bed. It was one room and two boys in their underwear. There was only one thing to do. 

 

Andrew joined Jesse back on the back, climbing right on top of him and pinning his arms down. They spent a few seconds like that, just staring at each other, memorising every detail on each other’s faces. 

 

“I’ve got you where I want you, Jesse.”

 

That was followed by a flurry of soft pecks all over Jesse’s chest, and every time Andrew moved close enough to his nipples, he would give them a gentle nip that made Jesse moan with rippling pleasure. Their penises touched through their underwear, and Andrew moved his hips with such gaiety that it was hard not to just soak in the beauty that is Andrew. But Jesse wanted more. 

 

Jesse reached down to Andrew’s jockstrap, and felt the massive girth of it. His fingers slipped shyly under the waistbands, coming into contact with his boner. 

 

“Keep that up and I’ll have to come all over you.”

 

“I don’t care.”

 

Jesse felt Andrew hastening his hip thrusts, driving his boner against Jesse’s hand that was now sandwiched between both boners. Jesse wasn’t going to last long like this, with Andrew leaking all over his hand and leaving subtle kisses all over his body. His curls weren’t the only wet area now. 

 

Jesse tapped Andrew on the shoulder, breathless yet yearning for more. “Andrew, Andrew stop for a moment please.”

 

“No fucking way.”

 

Andrew did stop, but it was for two seconds to pull Jesse’s cock out and fist it violently. Both their hands were working at each other’s cocks, experiencing pleasure like never before. Jesse shuddered violently and thrusted upwards before coming all over Andrew’s hand, and Andrew giggled before coming himself. 

 

It was a warm, viscous mess of semen and two exhausted boys, lying together, noses touching, toes curling and most of all, arms embracing.


	10. Comparative Lit and Closets

Jesse didn’t realise he’d dozed off, his pants and underwear still at his knees. He was snuggled comfortably in the waves of fabric of the duvet, breathing in the vanilla and cinnamon pheromones while feeling the soft hairs on his arm away with every breath that Andrew released. It didn’t matter that they barely cleaned up; it was done in a shoddy way, but nothing could taint that moment. It was untouchable.

 

Andrew woke up anyway, rubbing his eyes like a little boy would. He kissed Jesse on the arm before sitting up, the duvet falling off his shoulders to reveal his chest.

 

“You’re up, Jess.”

 

“Mmhmm. And it’s almost 4, I think I’ve got to-“

 

“But I wanted to stay in bed with you!” Andrew whined childishly, inducing a lust in Jesse never felt before. This boy, Andrew Garfield, was just perfect. Perfect.

 

“Hallie Kate’s coming back from karate and I don’t want her to be alone two days in a row. You wouldn’t want her to hate her Uncle Andrew right?”

 

“Make that Big Brother Andrew and you can leave.”

 

“That’s up to her.”

 

Jesse threw on his clothes in a jiffy, suddenly aware of the nakedness he’s been in for the past few hours. Andrew had seen all of him and he had seen all of Andrew, but not being in the throes of hot, young, lusty passion made the embarrassment worse. Jesse looked back at the sleepy Andrew, curled up amongst the sheets, naked and sexy as hell, and smiled. This was going somewhere.

 

That evening, when Jesse was having Chinese takeout with Hallie Kate on the couch watching CSI, he wondered. Wondered if Hallie Kate should ever find out about him and Andrew. Wondered how she’d react. Wondered if she’ll approve. And then he replaced Hallie Kate with society and wondered the same things.

 

“Did you spend the day with Andrew?”

 

“That’s Big Brother Andrew for you, missy. And yes.”

 

“Why isn’t he coming over?”

 

“Would you like that?”

 

“You would.” Hallie Kate gave a toothy grin. This sister of his was smart and cheeky as hell.

 

“I like Andrew. And he makes you happy. So that makes me happy too.”

 

Jesse had to put down his noodles to reach over and hug Hallie Kate, before she could see his moistening eyes. Acceptance was sweet liberation, and he needed that from his only family.

 

***

 

“You did WHAT?”

 

“Oh gosh shush Verity, the whole Art History’s gonna hear you.”

 

Verity lowered her voice, but carried the same demanding tone. “Did you guys do it?”

 

Jesse was afraid of what she might say after that, but he wasn’t a very good liar.

 

“What? Pssht. No. Eww! What? Yeah.”

 

What followed was a series of spasms and silent table smashes that Jesse was half-expecting the Art History lecturer to kill them for.

 

Verity shook Jesse violently before catching her breath. “So he’s gay too?”

 

“I guess.. Or bi.”

 

“Dang. I would’ve tapped that ass myself if otherwise.”

 

Jesse smiled and returned to the lecture. It was Comparative Lit next.

 

***

 

Andrew caught Jesse by the shoulder as he was rushing out of the lecture theatre, eager to meet Andrew.

 

“I’m here, Jess.”

 

“Oh. Hi.”

 

Andrew grinned his widest. Jesse’s awkward disposition was what made him so attractive. He noticed Verity trailing behind Jesse, trying to stuff her pencil case into her tote. “Hey Verity!”

 

She froze for a moment. Literally. All movement ceased while she just stared at Andrew with his arm around Jesse. And her eyes narrowed, the cheekiness growing exponentially in the form of a smile that thinned her lips into two strips.

 

“Jesse, enjoy Comparative Lit alright? I’m sure it’ll be.. stimulating.”

 

Jesse flashed all shades of red. He broke out of Andrew’s arm and rushed Verity away.

 

“Bugger off. And you owe me a meal for that.”

 

“Aww don’t be mad.” She pinched Jesse’s cheeks and looked over his shoulders to see Andrew grinning behind him. “Bye Andrew!”

 

Andrew came forward, wrapping Jesse’s shoulders again. “One less person to hide from eh, Jess?” He chuckled heartily, and pulled Jesse along to Comparative Lit.

 

One less person? Andrew wasn’t planning to sell the closet, was he? Jesse needed the closet. He wasn’t ready, and he wasn’t sure if he’ll ever be. Acknowledging the relationship between him and Andrew would mean coming out, and coming out would mean judgement. Cold, hard, ruthless judgement. Could Andrew protect him from that?

 

All of a sudden, Jesse felt the glares of the world on him in Andrew’s arms, walking down hallways, and he didn’t feel so blissful anymore.


	11. Please Don't Hurt Me

“Why did Mom leave?”

 

Jesse had a day off from school; the heaters were completely down and they had to do some damage control before ruining their rep as the warmest school in town. He’d spent the day at home, cleaning out the store and Hallie Kate’s room before it got too dusty. Apart from her bed and desk, the shelves and plushies and every visible corner were breeding dust. And he had to clean it out when she’s at school, otherwise she’d go into a sneezing fit. Hallie Kate got dismissed half an hour earlier than usual, so Jesse decided to pick her up and stroll to Dunkin’s for donuts.

 

“She got sick, remember?”

 

“I know. But she should’ve seen a doctor.”

 

Jesse knew exactly why their mother, the mother he loved limitlessly, couldn’t see a doctor. But he couldn’t tell Hallie Kate why.

 

Their father took every single cent, that’s why.

 

Jesse stopped and knelt down beside her, straightening out her pigtails as she rubbed her eyes furiously, trying to rub out the sting from the tears.

 

“Hallie Kate, sweetheart. Remember the prayers that Mom used to make you say before you slept every night?”

 

She nodded.

 

“Well, God heard every single one of them. Every night, while you knelt beside Mom’s bed, like how I’m doing now, He was right above you. Listening to your sweet little voice pray for happiness, love and health for Mom.”

 

Jesse held on to Hallie Kate’s shoulders and glanced down for a second, clearing his choking throat.

 

“And those prayers, they became tiny wings, like the ones on your Chloe doll, and they made sure Mom reached God’s home.”

 

“Is that heaven?”

 

“That’s right, Hallie Kate. And you made that possible because you prayed so hard, so hard. Thank you, Hallie Kate.”

 

By now, Hallie Kate was already crying bitterly, clinging on to Jesse and burying her face into his shoulder.

 

Every Bring Your Parents Day at Woodburn Elementary ended with Hallie Kate asking him the same question. And his answer never changed.

 

***

 

The daffodils were getting suffocated by weeds, their yellow bloom overshadowed by the thorny stems that twisted around the delicate flowers. Andrew poked at the weeds, wondering how they managed to grow so quickly overnight. He was dressed for the occasion: overalls with rubber gloves and gardening scissors in one hand and weed killer in another.

 

Andrew the gardener. Mr Daffodil. He begun spraying the weed bunch, careful not to kill the daffodils in the process. He looked as professional as he was; a well sculpted, dapper young man with skills befitting that of a full time gardener. He wanted Jesse to see him at work, to see him save the daffodils from ruin. He was sure Jesse would be proud of him.

 

“Garfield! Picking flowers like the pony-boy you are?”

 

Jason Peele captained the hockey team, and never forgave Andrew for leaving the team to join the Drama Company. “Embracing your feminine roots, eh Garfield?”, he had taunted. Sporting a Nike singlet and tights, along with his signature hockey-stick-in-the-bagpack look, he drew a scowl at Andrew.

 

“Scoot.”

 

“You sure are protective of your stupid faggy flowers there.”

 

“At least I’m capable of protecting something. I’m sure Claudia’s enjoying Keegan’s company right now.” Andrew knew he’d hit a raw nerve, but not like he gave a shit.

 

He saw Jason turn livid blue at the mention of Claudia. Jason gritted his jaw, tightening his grip on the fence. And then it all went away.

 

“Keep some of those flowers for Jesse, alright? He might like them.”

 

Jason didn’t wait for a reply.

 

***

 

Hallie Kate licked her sugar coated fingers one by one, pouring the loose icing at the bottom of the paper bag into her little mouth.

 

“If you get into a sugar high tonight, I’m not gonna entertain your requests to play with your dolls.”

 

Hallie Kate giggled and chucked the paper bag into a bin, sticking her hands into Jesse’s.

 

“That’s so gross, Hallie Kate. Let me get you a napkin.”

 

“I’ve got English and Geometry. I don’t like either.”

 

“I could help with English, but Geometry’s a no go. Andrew’s good at it though.”

 

“Ooh ooh! Could you get him to come over?”

 

Jesse liked the idea. But he wasn’t sure about seeing him again, since the day before in school, when Jesse felt all kinds of uneasiness.

 

“It wouldn’t be nice to trouble him like that.”

 

“Oh c’mon, after he teaches me you guys can hang out! I won’t destroy the house.” Hallie Kate stuck out her pinky, waiting for Jesse relent.

 

Jesse smiled and shook his head in false disapproval. “Let’s give him a call.”

 

The streetlights stretched their shadows as they strolled back home from Dunkin’s, bending their shapes in a twisted fashion.

 

“Hallie Kate’s insisting you impart some of your genius to her tonight. What do you say?”

 

The shapes grew longer and longer, and snapped as the duo moved along each streetlight. The block was straight ahead.

 

“She promises not to be a nuisance. Right, Hallie Kate?”

 

The shadows were a mass of darkness as they made a left turn across the road, Hallie Kate skipping with her hand in Jesse’s. And as they passed by the last streetlight, both of them didn’t notice the extra shape.

 

“Alright, I’m sure she’ll be glad to hear that. Hallie Kate, you’re to have only one lolly later, you hear me? Andrew, I swear you’re spoiling her.”

 

The thinned shadow, the last bit before everything faded into nothingness, met Jesse’s shadow.

 

It was a sickening crack. Jesse wasn’t sure if it was his skull or the hockey stick. Like scalds, the initial impact was sweet, cold. And then Jesse couldn’t move. He only knew the pain, his bloodied curls. One hand holding his head, the other gripping onto Hallie Kate, slipping helplessly.

 

The only sounds he could register, besides the running of feet, were the muffled yells from his cellphone, blinking a feet away from his head, and the agonising cries of his sister, crying, crying.


	12. Prayers

Was that Hallie Kate?

 

Andrew couldn’t hear Jesse anymore. Maybe it was a bad connection. He jabbed the red button on his phone multiple times before hitting redial.

 

No answer.

 

Andrew slung his bagpack over his shoulder and walked towards Susan’s Sweets. He sent Jesse a couple of texts, telling him to call him back once he fixes his phone.

 

“And I’m coming over in ten alright? Love u”

 

Sugared bear gummies, strawberry filled marshmallows, taffies and lip-puckering lollies. They were brilliantly coloured, filling the bag with smells that could give you diabetes.

 

“That’ll be $7.85. You seem a little old for these, lad.”

 

“They’re for my..” Andrew paused to search for an appropriate term. Friend? Sister?

 

“Sister in law.”

 

Susan chuckled, her eyes wrinkling with delight. “She must be beautiful.”

 

“She is. And her brother is too.”

 

Andrew watched her freeze for a moment, then nod with understanding.

 

“I bet he is. See you around, lad.”

 

Andrew bent over the counter and kissed her on the cheek. “Thanks, Susie.”

 

***

 

Jesse didn’t sleep. He was awake the whole time, feeling the gravel bruise his cheek as he struggled to inch, even for the slightest bit.

 

“Jesse! Jesse! Oh my god Jesse!”

 

Jesse wasn’t sure what exactly happened. A phone call, then massive pain. He raised a bloodied palm and groped around for his phone, deliriously mumbling.

 

“Call s-someone, please, H-Hallie Kate.”

 

He saw his weeping sister jam some buttons, yelling his name and crying for someone, anyone, before he finally lost control of his hand and felt it slump to the ground while everything went red and black.

 

***

 

The doorbell rang. Twice, thrice. Shouldn’t they been home from Dunkin’s by now?

 

Four times. Five.

 

Andrew fished out his phone and dialed Jesse’s number for the third time. The dialling tone went on and on but it never ended with Jesse’s dull ‘Hello’.

 

The bag of sweets hung on his wrist. Where was Jesse and Hallie Kate? Andrew made his way down the block, wondering if he should call Verity to ask. It wasn’t like Jesse to disappear like that. Had he done something wrong again?

 

Andrew sank into a bench and stared at his phone, listening to the vehicles drive by the road. Call me, he willed. Text me, Jesse. Where’d you go?

 

Sirens. The ambulance sped by, before slowing down two blocks away. Andrew remembered the scream, the disconnected phone line. Hallie Kate?

 

He got on his feet, grabbing the bag of sweets. With every streetlamp he passed, his step quickened. He broke into a run, by the time he saw the paramedics pushing a stretcher into the back of the ambulance, and the growing crowd. The chattering people. The blood. The blonde curls of a crying girl, carried by a medic.

 

Andrew found himself getting hostile, nudging his way through the throng of gossiping spectators. It wasn’t a show, dammit. And then he spotted the Fitch flip flops, sticking out of the neon orange blanket, just before the doors were slammed shut by a overweight paramedic.

 

Oh fuck no. Fuck no, please.

 

***

 

“Dear Lord, my Father, please keep my brother safe in Your grace. I promise to tie my pigtails from now on. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”

 

Hallie Kate whispered into the blanket, the orange darkening with moisture in her tiny grasp.

 

“Amen.”


	13. I'll try, to fix you

He broke into a run.

"Jesse? Jesse!"

The brake lights shone crimson, the engine revving to go. 

Andrew banged violently at the doors, demanding to be let in. He was hysterical, almost uncontrollable, and he knew the crowd was staring. He knew he'd dropped the bag and gummy bears adorned the tarred road like colourful confetti. He knew all of that. 

But he also knew the ambulance was taking away the one person he'd grown to waste away without. 

***

"What's your name, sweetheart?"

Hallie Kate heard the pretty nurse, loud and clear. 

"He's gonna need a transfusion. Get the O plus bags."

Hallie Kate ran after the rolling stretcher, holding onto the frame. 

"Sweetheart? You can't go in there."

The pretty nurse lifted Hallie Kate into her arms, trying to comfort the bawling child. Hallie Kate saw her brother, unrecognisable with all his blood, being wheeled into the emergency operation theatre. She'd watched enough CSI to know that when the In Progress light above the swinging doors were lit, whoever's inside either dies or lives. 

"Would you like to tell me your name?"

"He hit my brother."

***

Andrew slammed the counter, hard.

"Where's Jesse?"

"I'm sorry?" The startled nurse was clearly upset at the disheveled, desperate young man, perspiring and panting but not bothering about his image one bit.

He gave his forehead a quick swipe with his sleeve. "Jesse Eisenberg, please." He was curt, but offending someone wasn't the issue here. Where's his Jesse?

The nurse drew a skeptical countenance, typing away at her computer before replying, as curt as Andrew was. 

"You are?"

Andrew didn't know what to say. All of a sudden, that question became completely relevant to him. Who was he to Jesse, really? 

"Please, tell me where he is." His patience was running dry. 

"You.. Emergency op."

He sped away. His brown bag flapped noisily behind, and the leather suedes made a ruckus. But it was okay, he thought. It was okay to draw attention to yourself, maybe even security. But you have to see Jesse, Andrew. He matters, more than you do. 

Andrew saw, from the other end of the corridor, Hallie Kate slumped in a pink chair, her head bowed. He got closer and closer, and her muttering got louder and louder. 

"Amen. Amen. Amen."

Andrew slowed to a calm pace. He ran his fingers through his hair before kneeling beside her chair. 

"Hallie Kate? Where-Where's your brother?"

She lifted her tiny head, her flowing blonde curls falling behind her shoulder. They made eye contact; a collected good friend, a wrecked sister. Hallie Kate trembled, before she fell into Andrew's shoulder, crying. 

"Big Brother Andrew, please don't let Jesse die."

Andrew heard the entire sentence, but only registered the last two words. That cannot happen. It simply cannot. He held Hallie Kate's head against his shoulder, feeling it dampen with tears and realising he was dampening Hallie Kate's, too. 

"I won't allow it, sweetheart."

He could smell blood on her sweater, the one he helped Jesse buy. He dabbed his finger in the bloodied patch, feeling Jesse. This stain on his finger, was a little bit of Jesse, and Andrew needed to piece him back, drop by drop. 

"I won't allow it."


	14. Recovery

Andrew watched his steaming cup of cocoa. Hallie Kate was sipping at hers, contented for the moment. The light above the swinging doors never went out for the past two hours. 

There were periods in your life where the silence was deafening enough to make you believe the voices in your head. Besides the soft sipping sounds beside him, Andrew could hear nothing else. But it was so loud. 

Is Jesse going to die?

What happened to Jesse?

Why didn't he meet Jesse earlier?

This is all his fault, isn't it?

"I'm so sorry, Hallie Kate."

Andrew felt a little palm on his thigh. "I think Jesse's dreaming of us right now."

"You think so?" 

"Yup."

"Mr Eisenberg?"

The light had gone off. The doors were swinging slightly, and the doctor was pulling off bloodied gloves as he looked around for a reply. 

"Mr Eisenberg?"

"That'll be me." Andrew rose from his seat, placing the untouched cup of cocoa on it. Hallie Kate begun sniffing again, afraid to hear what he had to say. 

"Your brother, Jesse? He lost buckets of blood."

They thought Jesse was his brother?

"Just- just give it to me."

"Out of danger. But there was a certain degree of brain damage, it'll take some time for him to recover. I suggest lots of patience. And love."

"Thanks, doc."

He's fine. He's fine. He's fine. 

"Your brother's okay." Andrew lifted Hallie Kate up, carrying her by her bottom, the girl quietly sobbing. 

And just like that, they walked towards the boy they both loved dearly, but it could never be the same again. 

***

Jesse tried to look for someone. One of his eyelids hurt, and he couldn't open it. He opened the other, and painfully pried open the other with his left hand. 

What the fuck was this?

His right hand had tubes, rubber ones, that bloomed out of the back of his palm. He could barely move it without feeling his blood vessels getting minced. And to top it all off, his head was as, or even more, mummified than how Andrew did it the other time. 

Andrew. The name stung like nettles. 

He was afraid. Why was he hooked up to that beeping thing? Why wasn't anyone else in the room? Where was the toilet?

Jesse started to shiver and panic, pulling slightly at the machines and trying to move his heavy head. 

***

Andrew paused slightly before placing his hand on the cool metal knob. Would Jesse want to see him? Would Jesse ever forgive him?

He pulled open the door, Hallie Kate in the other arm, to see a flailing and afraid Jesse messing up the sheets and struggling against nothing. Jesse stopped for a moment, seeing the two most important people in his life, and for once in the past 12 hours, everything was okay. 

Right then, Andrew knew that he loved Jesse, because his chest burned at the sight of his Jesse's pain.


	15. Be okay, please

"Oh Jesse." 

Andrew stood by the door as watched Hallie Kate jump on the bed with Jesse, burying him with a million questions. He watched as Jesse calmed down a little, trying to pacify his concerned yet excited sister. Andrew just watched, in a chair, as Hallie Kate finally fell asleep with exhaustion and worry and relief next to Jesse. 

Andrew walked over and reached out to stroke his semi-bandaged curls, and felt Jesse flinch, afraid. 

I'm Andrew, you don't have to be afraid. Please don't be afraid of me. 

"Oh, Jesse." Andrew finally choked out. He saw Jesse's Adam's apple shift; he probably swallowed in fear. His Jesse, his baby boy. 

"You scared the shit out of me, you know that baby?"

Jesse began to ease to his touch, and started to cry. 

"Hey Jesse, it's all fine, I'm here okay?"

Andrew felt the soft hairs at the back of his neck erect with his touch, and for the first time Andrew noticed Jesse's lips. They were rosy, inviting. This boy he was half-embracing, this boy that was holding onto his collar as he soaked his shirt with tears and fear, this boy who almost got taken away from him, was so fucking beautiful inside and out. He could never lose him. Never. 

"I'm so sorry, Jesse. I should've met you earlier, and I could've stopped this. I'm just - it's my fault, and I'm just really sorry alright?" Andrew's grip on his shoulder tightened, as if Jesse was going to be taken away one more time. 

Jesse didn't answer him. He just continued crying into Andrew's chest, and Andrew just kept kissing his forehead over and over. 

"Let's get you some water, okay Jesse?" Andrew finally got up and grabbed a glass. 

Jesse reached for the glass with his left hand, the only hand that wasn't punctured and connected to machines. It was an unsteady grip, the water spilling slightly onto the sheets. 

It begun.

Jesse dropped the glass, waking Hallie Kate. It started off mild, but it only took five seconds before the shivers escalated immensely. Jesse tried to pick up the glass, shaking uncontrollably, but all he did was drop the glass onto the floor. It exploded, the shards dispersing like pollen. 

"Hallie Kate, get the nurse." Andrew didn't care if he sounded demanding. He kicked the broken pieces of glass under the bed, and wrapped his arms around the shivering Jesse. 

"You're okay. You're okay, baby." Andrew kept whispering into Jesse's ear, but he didn't know if he believed that himself.


	16. Tough Cookie

"I don't know if he's gonna be okay."

Verity got down in a cab once Andrew phoned her outside the hospital. The doctors didn't allow anyone to see Jesse for the time being; something about aggravating his condition. But we're his family, Andrew argued. We only love him. 

Hallie Kate was napping in a chair next to Verity, her breathing a gentle sooth. 

"Jesse, he's stronger than you think. He'll get through this."

"But I'm not as strong as I think."

Andrew ran his fingers through his hair. 

"I-I did this. I did this, Verity."

"Stop that. You know it isn't, and if Jesse heard that ridiculous reproaching he'd slap you silly."

"When he flinched to my touch, he was afraid of me," Andrew was trying not to choke. 

"And then he started shivering, a-and I couldn't stop it. I couldn't help him at all."

"The doc said it was because of the bashing, some minor nerve damage, right? He'll-he'll pull through."

Bashing. Gay bashing. This was exactly it, wasn't it? But no one knew about Jesse and him. 

"The cops will find him, alright? You've been here all night, you should get going. I'll watch Jesse. My mom's coming to fetch Hallie Kate back to my place for the time being so don't worry about her."

"I need to stay. I'm not leaving him alone any more."

"You're gonna burn out and I'll have three babies to watch. Now get your ass back home and bring me Jesse's stuff when you're coming back. Here's the key."

Andrew relented, but he needed to see Jesse one more time, to make sure that he wasn't cold, that he had enough to drink, that he wasn't in pain, that he knew Andrew loved him so, so much. 

The opening of the doors startled Jesse, who immediately pushed himself up to a sitting position. 

"A-Andrew."

"I'm going to head home for a sec, alright Jess?" Andrew sat by the edge of his bed, rubbing his bony, frail arm. 

"Don't."

"Verity's here, she'll take care of you for now. Jess-"

"Promise me you'll come back, please Andrew.." Jesse was almost asleep with reassurance. 

To hear Jesse almost beg him to stay, it was like tending to a lost, hurt child. 

"You just stay here alright, I promise you Jesse. "

***

"Here's your lunch, and a bag of gummies for you and your friends. Have fun, kiddo!" Andrew finished up her pigtails and rubbed the top of her head before sending Hallie Kate through the gates of Woodburn Elementary. She'd almost ripped out her hair with worry, but Verity finally allowed Andrew to send Hallie Kate to school today. 

"We'll be fine, calm down."

"Make sure she eats her vitamins, and tie her pigtails proper. Maybe I should just-"

"Wave goodbye, Hallie Kate!" Andrew had rushed Hallie Kate out the door before Verity died from overprotecting Hallie Kate. 

Hallie Kate bounded cheerily and met up with some of her friends. "That's my brother's boyfriend! He's dreamy, isn't he!"

Andrew had half expected her friends to coo at that somewhat direct confession, especially when it involved two guys, but they didn't. All the did was chatter inaudibly, but Hallie Kate seemed okay with that. Andrew looked at his watch. He had half an hour to spare.

It was almost time to bring Jesse home. 

***

"You don't know how glad I am to see, you, Mr Garfield."

They finally got his identity right after 8 visits. Andrew had to explain how he wasn't Jesse's brother or cousin, and how he was the only one Jesse was willing to see. 

"We've to change his dressing today, full bandage. And as usual, he's not letting anyone near him."

"Doc Stevens, maybe he's still, you know, traumatised from the attack. Has the shivers gone down?"

"Maybe he just wants to see you." The doctor gave Andrew a light slap on the arm. "It's pretty much gone, but it still happens when he's nervous or afraid. Like during blood tests."

The conjured image of them drawing blood from his Jesse made Andrew shudder. His poor baby. 

"Here we are. We changed his ward to the regular one, now that he's much better. Need a refresher on how to change the bandages?"

"It's cool, doc. Thanks for the help."

"I should thank you. Later, Andrew."

Andrew pushed the doors open to see Jesse sitting up on his bed, cross legged, reading a copy of The New York Times. 

"You do know you're wearing a gown, right Jess?"

Jesse put down the newspaper, greeting Andrew with a relieved smile. He looked almost radiant, albeit still bandaged around the scalp. 

"Yeah I do. It's pretty stupid."

It was completely therapeutic to hear Jesse being snappy and cynical again. 

"So siting cross legged wouldn't be the most ideal method to protect your modesty, don't you think?" The atmosphere took a flirtatious turn. 

Almost instantaneously, Jesse stretched out his legs and pull down his gown. 

"I knew that."

Andrew put his bag down by the couch and washed his hands. "The doc told me you weren't being very cooperative, mister."

"I didn't want them to take the dressing off."

Andrew smiled inside.

"I wanted you to do it."

It was almost a guffaw, but Andrew toned it down a notch so that he wouldn't give too much of his glee away. He didn't want Jesse to realise how much he missed him. Andrew took off the safety pin, gently pulling the dressing away from Jesse's head. It revealed his golden curls, the curls he yearned for so long. 

"Ow."

"That didn't hurt, you bugger."

"Says who?"

"Me."

"Well, this'll hurt." Jesse gently punched Andrew on the nuts. 

Andrew flinched, laughing at his adorable audacity. "I'm trying to change your dressing here, Jess!"

Jesse took on a false sympathetic tone. "Oh I'm sorrrrrrry." He placed his hand back on Andrew's crotch, gently soothing it. 

Andrew paused, then caught Jesse's grin. He was definitely recovering, that bugger. 

"Now you're really asking for it."


End file.
